Many Spanish independent sports retailers do their purchasing through a variety of buying groups. Diffusion Sport reports that Spain’s National Association of Buying Groups and Organized Commerce (Anceco) has brought to fruition a two-decade-old idea to gather SMEs with similar profiles into a collaborative scheme to enable them to compete with large companies. Specifically, Anceco has helped companies operating in 46 sectors to create a single, shared e-commerce platform. The project involves some 3,500 retail companies with membership in buying groups and small vertically integrated chains, many of which are delving into e-commerce for the first time. According to Diffusion Sport’s sources, their number could triple next year. Anceco points out that online sales “require specific knowledge of a very different channel from physical stores, optimal positioning to establish credibility and a strong brand to inspire consumer confidence, gain visibility and generate sales, as well as technology, logistics, a good assortment and, of course, steady and serious investment.”
